Lang wins from 7-man break in Gort

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Pirmin Lang of Switzerland's Atlas Jakroo team has won stage 2 of the An Post Ras covering 157 kilometres from Kilkenny to Gort. The 27-year-old Swiss outsprinted his six breakaway companions for the win, with Britons Dale Appleby (East Midlands Metaltek) and James Moss (Node4 Giordana Racing) rounding out the top three.

Christian Jerslid Jensen (Blue Water Cycling), Dan Craven (Team IG – Sigma Sport), Richard Handley (Rapha Condor Sharp) and Connor McConvey (An Post Sean Kelly) made up the remainder of riders in the final sprint at the finish. The group finished 28 seconds ahead of the next riders home, Waterford native Sam Bennett and reigning Rás champion Gediminas Bagdonas, both of the An Post Sean Kelly Team.

The time gap was enough to put the top three of the stage into the top of the general classification as well. Lang assumes the leader's jersey, with Appleby and Moss in second and third overall, all tied on time.

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Sunny conditions in Kilkenny this morning indicated that today's stage would make for aggressive riding and that certainly was the case as the riders covered 48 kilometres in the first hour of riding. Irishman Martyn Irvine (RTS Racing) was in determined mood, attacking twice early on and took an eight second lead before being reeled in by the bunch.

Going into Thurles a group of eight riders led by Connor McConvey broke free, opening up a gap of almost three minutes from the peloton. Despite the break beginning to show cracks on the category three climb of Ogonnelle, which was taken by Richard Handley after a close fought battle with Dan Craven, the riders were pushed along by a strong tailwind which made for a very fast final hour of racing.

Three more gruelling climbs ensued with Craven emerging victorious on the final one at Killanena and ensuring he claimed the ‘King of the Mountains jersey. It was a pivotal and testing time for the break but they raised their game and were not to be caught despite some hard riding from David McCann (RTS Racing) at the front of the peloton. As the finish drew closer it was Lang who had most left in the tank and he was delighted to take the yellow jersey.

"I hoped that the breakaway would come through," said Lang. "It worked out. My legs were spinning well and I hoped for a good sprint".

Although the bunch was chasing hard, he said that he believed that his group had a chance if they continued to work well. "With three kilometres to go we got the wind from behind and I knew that we could do it," said Lang.